Yoo Yeon-seok

Ahn Yeon-seok (Korean: 안연석; born April 11, 1984), better known by the stage name Yoo Yeon-seok, is a South Korean actor. After making his acting debut in 2003 with a small role in Oldboy, he resumed his acting career in 2008. His notable works include the films Re-encounter (2011), Architecture 101 (2012), A Werewolf Boy (2012), Whistle Blower (2014), and Love, Lies (2016), as well as the television series Reply 1994 (2013), Dr. Romantic (2016), Mr. Sunshine (2018), Hospital Playlist (2020–2021), When the Phone Rings (2024), and Phantom Lawyer (2026).

Early life

Yoo was born as Ahn Yeon-seok on April 11, 1984, in Seoul, South Korea as a son of professor of engineering. In his junior year in high school, Yoo decided to take up acting and followed his older brother, who was preparing for the college entrance exams, to Seoul and they lived together near the district of Samseong-dong.

While taking acting classes, Yoo landed his first role by chance after meeting a friend who would later work on the costume staff of film director Park Chan-wook for the film Oldboy. He auditioned for a role on the recommendation of the friend and was immediately cast as the younger version of Yoo Ji-tae's character due to their resemblance.

After appearing in Oldboy, Yoo enlisted in the Republic of Korea Air Force for mandatory military service and began undergraduate studies at Sejong University. Upon graduation from Sejong University with a degree in Film Arts, he resumed his acting career in 2008, appearing in the plays In The Burning Darkness and Understudy. He also began using his agency's recommended stage name, Yoo Yeon-seok.

Career

2008–2012: Career beginnings

After an extended hiatus from acting, Yoo made his return in the medical drama General Hospital 2.

Yoo took on supporting roles on television, such as the haughty student body president in the horror series Soul and more appealing characters in medical drama Midnight Hospital and Tasty Life. But Yoo received his best reviews yet for playing a sensitive ex-boyfriend searching for his child in the independent film Re-encounter.

Soon after, Yoo became known to mainstream audiences as the rich and spoiled antagonist in the box office hit melodramas Architecture 101, and A Werewolf Boy. He further raised his profile with comedy film Born to Sing, and the fantasy series Gu Family Book.

2013–2014: Rising popularity and breakthrough

Yoo rose to popularity in the nostalgic campus drama Reply 1994 in late 2013. Following his breakout year, he was cast in two high-profile films in 2014: Whistle Blower about infamous biotech researcher Hwang Woo-suk, and Joseon-set period drama The Royal Tailor. Yoo then appeared in the travel-reality show Youth Over Flowers.

2015–present: Leading roles

In 2015, Yoo was cast in his first leading role on network television as a chef and restaurateur in the romantic comedy series Warm and Cozy, written by the Hong sisters and set on Jeju Island. He also starred in the thriller Perfect Proposal (a remake of Woman of Straw), and The Beauty Inside (adapted from the social film of the same title).

Later in the year, Yoo played the protagonist in Le Passe-Muraille ("The Man Who Walked Through Wall"); this was his first stage musical since his professional acting debut (Yoo had previously appeared in theatrical productions while still in university).

In 2016, Yoo starred in the period music drama Love, Lies followed by romantic comedy Mood of the Day. He returned to the small screen with hit medical drama Dr. Romantic alongside Han Suk-kyu and Seo Hyun-jin.

In 2018, Yoo starred in romance melodrama Mr. Sunshine penned by Kim Eun-sook. He then appeared in the musical A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder.

In 2020, Yoo starred in the critically acclaimed and hit medical drama Hospital Playlist, playing Ahn Jeong-won, an assistant professor of pediatric surgery and reprised his role in season 2 in 2021.

In 2022, Yoo starred in the crime-mystery film Vanishing by French film director Denis Dercourt, as detective Park Jin-ho. In December, he starred in the JTBC series The Interest of Love, playing an employee at a bank.

In 2023, he also reprised his role as Kang Dong-joo in a cameo role in the third season of Dr. Romantic.

Filmography

Film

• Oldboy — Young Lee Woo-jin — Credit as Ahn Yeon-suk
• Short! Short! Short! 2009: Show Me the Money — Man — Segment: "Saw"
• Re-encounter — Han-soo
• Eighteen, Nineteen — Ho-ya
• 2012 — Architecture 101 — Jae-wook
• 2012 — Two Weddings and a Funeral — Joon — Cameo
• 2012 — Horror Stories — Man — Segment: "Beginning"
• 2012 — A Werewolf Boy — Ji-tae
• Born to Sing — Dong-soo
• 2013 — Hwayi: A Monster Boy — Park Ji-won
• Whistle Blower — Shim Min-ho
• 2014 — The Royal Tailor — King Yeonjo
• Perfect Proposal — Sung-yeol
• 2015 — The Beauty Inside — Woo-jin
• Love, Lies — Kim Yoon-woo
• 2016 — Mood of the Day — Jae-hyun
• 2016 — A Quiet Dream — Motorcycle man — Cameo
• Steel Rain 2: Summit — Jo Seon-sa (North Korean Leader)
• New Year Blues — Jae-Hyun
• Vanishing — Park Jin-ho — Korean-French Film
• My Heart Puppy — Min-soo
• No Other Choice — Oh Jin-ho — Cameo
• The Assassin(s) — Maeda — Cameo

Television series

• General Hospital 2 — Heo Woo-jin
• Dream — Noh Chul-joong
• 2009 — Soul — Baek Joong-chan
• Running, Gu — Heo Ji-man
• Pure Pumpkin Flower — Oh Hyo-joon
• Midnight Hospital — Yoon Sang-ho
• Tasty Life — Choi Jae-hyuk
• 2012 — What About Mom? — Kim Yeon-seok
• Gu Family Book — Park Tae-seo
• 2013 — Reply 1994 — Chilbong
• Warm and Cozy — Baek Gun-woo
• 2015 — Mrs. Cop — Jo Young-woo — Cameo (episode 16)
• Dr. Romantic — Kang Dong-joo — Season 1 and 3 (Special appearance; episode 12–16)
• Mr. Sunshine — Goo Dong-mae
• Hospital Playlist — Ahn Jeong-won / Andrea — Season 1–2
• Narco-Saints — David Park
• The Interest of Love — Ha Sang-soo
• A Bloody Lucky Day — Lee Byeong-Min / Geum Hyuk-soo
• When the Phone Rings — Paik Sa-eon
• Resident Playbook — Ahn Jeong-won / Andrea — Special appearance (episode 5)
• 2025 — Tastefully Yours — Jeon-min — Special appearance (episode 5–7)
• Phantom Lawyer — Shin Yi-rang
• 2026 — The Perfect Lie — Min Jun-ho
• Covet the Scholar, Princess — Kim Seo-yul
• My Troika — Min Sa-jun

Television shows

• Cats and Dogs — Host
• Youth Over Flowers — Regular cast — with Son Ho-Jun & Baro (Reply 1994 cast members)
• Wekid — Mentor
• Coffee Friends — Regular cast — with Son Ho-jun Choi Ji-woo and Yang Se-jong
• Wise Mountain Village Life — Cast Member — with Hospital Playlist casts (Jo Jung Suk, Jeon Mido, Jung Kyung Ho & Kim Dae Myung)
• Whenever Possible — Host — with Yoo Jae-suk

Web shows

• Bro and Marble — Cast Member — with Lee Seung-gi, Lee Dong-hwi, Ji Seok-jin, Kyuhyun, Joshua and Hoshi

Hosting

• 39th Blue Dragon Film Awards — with Kim Hye-soo
• 40th Blue Dragon Film Awards — with Kim Hye-soo
• 41st Blue Dragon Film Awards — with Kim Hye-soo
• 2021 — 42nd Blue Dragon Film Awards — with Kim Hye-soo
• 43rd Blue Dragon Film Awards — with Kim Hye-soo
• 44th Blue Dragon Film Awards — with Kim Hye-soo

Music video appearances

• "Things to Do Tomorrow" — Yoon Jong-shin
• "On the Days I Longed for Love" — Lee Oh Gong Gam [ko]
• "You Fool" — Honey-G
• 2013 — "Things to Do Tomorrow" — Yoon Jong-shin feat. Sung Si-kyung
• 2013 — "The Day to Love" — Lee Seung-chul
• 2013 — "One Way Love" — Hyolyn
• 2013 — "Only Feeling You" — Yoo Yeon-seok, Son Ho-jun and Jung Woo
• "Three People" — Toy feat. Sung Si-kyung
• "Because You're Pretty" — Standing Egg
• "Then You" — K.Will
• "Daystar" — Kyuhyun

Discography

Singles

• 2013 — 8 — — — Reply 1994 OST Part 7
• 2021 — 73 — — — Hospital Playlist Season 2 OST Part 7
• 2023 — — — — — Bro & Marble OST
• 2023 — — — — — Bro & Marble OST
• 2023 — — — — — Non-album single
• 2024 — — — 7 — When the Phone Rings OST

Stage

Musical

• Le Passe-Muraille (벽을 뚫는 남자) — Dusoleil
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (헤드윅) — Hedwig
• A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (젠틀맨스 가이드) — Monty Navarro
• Werther (베르테르) — Werther
• A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder (젠틀맨스 가이드) — Monty Navarro
• Hedwig and the Angry Inch (헤드윅) — Hedwig

Theater

• The Good Person of Szechwan (사천사는 착한사람)
• In The Burning Darkness (타오르는 어둠속에서)
• The Understudy (언더스터디)
• Death of a Salesman - Suwon (세일즈맨의 죽음 - 수원) — Howard

Other activities

In March 2026, Yoo has been appointed as a professor at Sejong University, his alma mater, to teach the Multimedia Performance course to senior students in the acting arts major at the Department of Film Art.

Personal life

Tax dispute

In March 2025, South Korean media reported that the National Tax Service had audited Forever Entertainment, a company founded by Yoo, of which he is chief executive, and notified him of additional taxes of about ₩7 billion, including income tax, then described as the largest publicly reported assessment of a South Korean celebrity. King Kong by Starship said the assessment arose from differences in how Yoo's tax representative and the tax authorities interpreted and applied tax law, that it had not been finalized, and that the agency would address the dispute through legal procedures.

Yoo requested a pre-assessment review. After adjustments, including for amounts already paid as corporate tax, the figure reported as due was about ₩3 billion, which he paid. In August 2026, the Tax Tribunal dismissed his appeal. His agency said the matter still stemmed from differences in the interpretation and application of tax law and that related procedures had not fully concluded; an administrative lawsuit remained possible.